Hopefully many of you will be aware that
‘The
Bell’ will soon be reopening with new tenants. The target
date for the Grand Opening is Friday 20th March.

Future
landlords James and Sally Bolton sent this letter of
introduction to the magazine:

As
former landlords of ‘The Magpie’, Harrold, we are proud to be
returning to the area and opening the doors to the local
communities - welcoming many familiar, as well as new faces!

Since leaving ‘The Magpie’ we have had 2 children: Alistair (11)
and Rose (8); they too are busy making their own business plans
for tuck and ice cream sales!

We
would like to reassure the village that we want to return ‘The
Bell’ to its former glory, offering a family friendly
environment, welcoming atmosphere, great food, quality
service and fantastic real ales!

We
are keen to reinstate the pub as the heart of the community and
are keen to hear your ideas and feedback! Please feel free to
email us on: james&sally@thebellinodell.com
A
brief message: “The first thing we are going to do is bring back
the bar stools and dress the windows!”.

James and Sally Bolton with
children Alistair and Rose.

Odell
Fete and Dog Show,

Saturday 13th
June

Getting Involved

Last July a
meeting was held in the Village Hall to discuss the future io
the Fete. This was well attended and generally everyone felt
the Fete should continue and hoped to have support from the
younger members of our community, not only on the day of the
Fete but also by perhaps getting some more involved in the
planning. So the
PLANNING has already started – the PA system and the loos
have been booked!! We do need as much
HELP
as possible. If you can help
NOW
pleasecontact
Mandy Hinds, 7 Horsefair Lane, Odell, 01234 720414 alodell@plus.comor
Christine Clark01234
918985cmclark99@uwclub.net

The first date to put in your diary is
Fete
Preparation Morning at 10.00am on Bank Holiday
Monday, 4th
MAY, hosted by Jim and Doreen at Linden House when we
clean and repaint the signs for the stalls and side shows and
prepare the roadside boards. We then enjoy a BBQ lunch. Please
bring your own meat and nearer the time we shall be asking for
contributions of pudding and drinks.

The
Big Preparation will be in the afternoon and early
evening of Friday, 12th
June, when we need muscles, good senses of humour, wheels,
trailers and people willing to collect tents, tables, chairs and
stall signs, and set these all up in the Scout Field down
Horsefair Lane ready for the big day. Tea and cake supplied to
keep you going! The morning of the Fete also requires many
hands to help complete the preparation and get the goods to the
stalls ready for the Grand Opening at 2.00pm. Don’t forget that
we also have to clear the field at the end of the afternoon.
All helpers are invited to a BBQ on Sunday morning at the field
to round off the busy weekend.

Jane
Eshelby

Senior Citizens’

Fish and Chip Lunch

Wednesday
11th
March

12.30 for
1 o’clock

Village
Hall

Let Jill
(720261) know by 2nd
March

Due to
lack of funds there will be a charge of £4 for the fish and chip
meal.

If you
know of anyone eligible to come to the lunch please tell Jill.

W.I.
News

At
our February Meeting Jill Cheadle took us to the Galapagos
Islands, an archipelago of volcanic islands situated in the
Pacific Ocean. She had put together a power point presentation,
with the help of Barry Halton, of her holiday to the Ecuadorian
Province of Galapagos, a National Park and Biological Marine
Reserve. She said this was a trip of a lifetime for her and her
sister Lesley. The Galapagos Islands are famed for their vast
number of endemic species which were studied by Charles Darwin
during his voyage with The Beagle. Their yacht took them to a
number of the eighteen main islands where they saw an amazing
number of birds, tortoises, sea lions, turtles, iguanas,
penguins, lizards, crab, and cactus. The Blue Footed Boobies
and the many Darwin Finches were favourites. Members and friends
thoroughly enjoyed Jill’s adventure and the lovely photos.

The
next meeting will
be held in the Village Hall on Tuesday 10th
March at 7.30pm, when Doreen will help us to develop our craft
skills and show us how to make Easter Bonnets. Please bring a
pair of scissors with you.

Hostesses are
Margaret Jones and Jill Cheadle.

New
members are always welcome and if you need any more information
please ring Karen Boyes, 327003. Ladies, just come along to the
Village Hall on the second Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm and
see what we do and how we enjoy ourselves. To find out more
about the WI go to www.theWI.org.uk
or the local Bedfordshire Federation website www.thewi.org.uk/bedfordshireJane
Eshelby

Village Hall

Annual General Meeting

The Annual
General Meeting of the Village Hall Committee will be held on
Monday 20th April in the Village Hall at 7.30pm. Several of the
present committee are looking to retire and they particularly
want to encourage younger villagers to replace them!

Events

The next
Quiz night will be on Saturday 18th April. 7.30pm for an 8.00pm
start. So start booking your tables of six via Rob on 01234
720730.

If you
have an idea for, or can help with, events let us know, and if
you would like a venue for a private function, the very
reasonable hire fee helps us maintain the hall.

Refurbishment plans

Many
thanks to Brian Cheadle and the Parish council for helping to
apply for and successfully receive funding to cover the costs of
some badly needed repair work including the damp problem in the
toilets and flooring in the entrance hall.

Evershed Drinks - help needed

Some of you will know
me as the woman who collects unwanted local apples and turns
them into cider and indeed, I still do that. In addition to
cider however, I also now make a traditional ginger beer and
other traditional (often seasonal) soft drinks (Elderflower
Pressé, traditional lemonade and spiced fruit punch). There are
a few local shops that sell my drinks (including Summerhill farm
shop in Cardington, Olney Deli and The Blue Glass in Bedford)

but those are not where my main sales come
from. I sell most of my drinks at farmers markets and local
events.

Events often clash with my regular farmers
markets so I would like to hear from anyone who would be
interested in helping me out when I have a double booking! They
would need to have access to a reasonably sized car (that could
fit a small gazebo in). I'm happy to negotiate a fee - the work
would (at the moment) have to be on a freelance basis. To let me
know about your surplus apples or to let me know about your
interest in manning a stall for me, call 01234 721798 or
07890786009 More information about my drinks can be found on my
web site
www.eversheddrinks.co.uk.

Harrold Superfast Cabinet 2 should be live by the time of
publication. This cabinet serves east Harrold and Little Odell.
Little Odell residents are advised to check the Openreach site
or use
www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/ADSLCheckerAddressOutput
Odell village itself will be included within the second project
which has a lot of money in it (£2.4m) so has a significant
contracting process to go through. The project’s coverage area
should emerge in April or possibly earlier.

The
Carlton Superfast Cabinet (Harrold 3) will have a bit of a delay
because of the problem of various services in the ground all
around the existing copper cabinet. I’ll keep you posted on
progress with that issue.

Warning from Bedfordshire Police

Bedfordshire Police are warning elderly and vulnerable people,
their families and friends to be on the alert for rogue traders
operating in Bedfordshire. At least two people are thought to
have been conned out of money by a rogue roofing company in
Bedford during the last couple of weeks.
Neighbourhood Watch County Support Officer Lynne Arch said “This
trader uses a white van with a roof rack for ladders and is
handing out flyers to residents claiming their roof tiles need
fixing urgently. “If a vulnerable family member or neighbour is
cold called by such a company you should ensure they do not
agree to any work and contact your local Trading Standards
Officers.”
Anyone with information relating to this incident can contact,
in confidence, Bedfordshire Police on 101, or text information
to 07786 200011. Alternatively you can contact Trading Standards
at Bedford Borough Council on 01234 718527 or Citizens Advice
consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06.

Bedford Borough Council Budget

Bedford Borough
Council’s budget for 2015/16 was approved by councillors at a
meeting on the 4th
February. The budget includes savings totalling £9.1m while
there will be a 0.25% cut in Council Tax following the receipt
of a £784k grant from the Government.

Bedfordshire Police

The Bedfordshire Police
and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has announced that he intends to
increase the Police’s Council Tax precept by 15.85%, which
amounts to a £24.80 annual rise for the average Band D
property. As this is above the Government’s Council Tax
increase cap of 2%, a referendum on this proposal is scheduled
for the same day as the General, Borough Council and parish
elections on Thursday 7th
May.

The PCC says the
increase will pay for 100 additional police officers, with 20
based in Bedford Borough.

New
Bridge for Bedford Receives Government Funds

A new bridge is to be
constructed in Bedford town centre following the receipt of
Government funds. The Batts Ford Bridge has been mooted for
decades as a possible link between Kingsway, next to Borough
Hall and Bedford College on the south side of the river, with
River Street on the north side. The Bridge will be part of an
emerging plan to improve traffic flow in and around Bedford.
The exact amount of funding to be received is not yet clear but
it is estimated that the total cost of the Bridge will be £30m.

Funding has also been
provided for an Advanced Electrical Design and Electronics
Centre at Bedford College. Furthermore, 1600 jobs and 600 new
houses are set to be built in and around Marston Vale following
the approval of funds for the Marston Vale Innovation Park.
This will provide space for 80 business premises.

Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group

You may have seen in the
local press that the body responsible for organising local
healthcare, the Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG)
is set to record a £28.8m spending deficit for 2014/15. Since
the scale of the problem was realised towards the end of the
2014, the BCCG has introduced a Finance Committee and Governing
Body members have said financial procedures have been tightened
up. The effect on services has yet to be detailed although
savings proposals are inevitable going forwards.

Foster Parents Required

Bedford Borough Council
has issued an urgent call for foster parents for teenagers as
there are a ‘significant number’ needing foster placements. If
you are interested please contact the Council on 01234 718718

News from Harrold Odell Country Park

Cormorant
drying out

The
lighter evenings are suddenly upon us and we’re on the cusp of
putting the clocks forward and losing an hour’s sleep. Spring
is on its way and also the Easter Bunny. On Good Friday, April
3rd,
we will be holding our annual Easter Egg Hunt.

As
usual there will be 2 sessions with 25 places in the morning
10am – 12pm and 25 places in the afternoon 1pm – 3pm.

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL
for the hunt and it will cost £1.00 per head. When you arrive
at the park there will be a registration table for you to be
ticked off the list and collect your clue sheets.

The
format is a pictorial trail round the large lake with a sheet of
questions and an extra clue to solve using the 1st
letter of the answers. When all the clues have been answered,
return to the registration table for marking and to collect your
eggs. To register please call 01234 720016 and leave a message
or e-mail janet.munro@bedford.gov.uk

We
hope to run other events during the year as time and staffing
allow, principally a pond dipping day with Bedfordshire Natural
History Society at the end of April (date to be confirmed) and a
Living from the Landscape event over a whole weekend in June
(again the date to be confirmed). In August, Bedfordshire Bat
Group will be running their annual Bat Walk for 20 people.
Again booking will be essential for this as there are only 20
bat detectors available to use.

Please look out for these nearer the time either as posters on
our notice boards or advertised on our website www.hocp.co.uk

The
cormorants are already nesting in the trees on Grebe Lake
Island. They have painted the trees white with their droppings,
which just goes to show how many fish they are eating. They are
beginning to out-compete our traditional water birds like herons
and kingfishers so we are keeping a close eye on their numbers.
This coming winter we may well have to think about cutting down
the nesting trees to deter them from breeding quite so
prolifically.

It
is on the Management Plan anyway to do significant tree work
over there because the trees are in such bad condition. There
is also a big problem with bramble and trees that blew down in
the middle during last winter’s storms. We have bee hives over
there and if we can carry out clearance that will allow more
wild flowers to flourish which we will be feeding the bees and
other insects. Ducks, geese and other ground nesting birds will
have larger areas to nest.

The
Friends Group are continuing to adapt the new work compound to
their needs. As well as the new log bins they are building work
benches and renewing the rotten roof between the storage
containers. This is just one project that has been funded by
your car park donations. Many of our regular volunteers have
been sponsored through a variety of training opportunities as
diverse as tractor driving, basic chainsaw and strimmer. This
means that the park staff now have extra pairs of hands to help
with the workload. Our volunteers are a precious commodity and
we cannot thank them enough.

The
products harvested from this year’s coppicing regime have been
put to good use around the park to rebuild the wicker fence
outside the entrance to Tea-zels café and to restore a wicker
spiral sculpture in the nature reserve. The thicker willow
branches have been used as stakes for hedge laying along the
shore of the large lake at the Odell end.

Plans are afoot to revamp the park entrance in the coming
months. Many of the oak posts bordering the car park are
rotting at the base or sitting at odd angles so we will ask
volunteers and those Community Payback regulars who work in the
park on Saturdays with their Probation Service Supervisor to
help with the improvements. When our new budget comes in this
April we will order the necessary materials.

Community Payback Groups actually do a tremendous amount of work
around the park and their contribution has been extremely
valuable. They also carry out tasks throughout the Borough
Council’s estate all year round.

As
the October to March forestry season draws to an end there are a
few poplar trees close to the Harrold play area that will have
to be felled as they are leaning too much towards the
equipment. We’d rather do this now as poplars are fast growing
and it is easier to do this while they are comparatively small.

Hedging in
Harrold Odell Country Park

Revamped
spiral. Photo courtesy of Anthony Bond

Dates
for your Diary

Health Walks

We
meet every other Thursday at the café entrance at 10.30am. We
walk for an hour to improve your health & wellbeing as well as
offering an opportunity to socialise and meet new people.
Appropriate clothing and sturdy footwear is essential. We
regret no dogs allowed as this precludes us from walking in the
nature reserve if conditions allow. Leaders: Janet Munro or
Richard Dowsett, tel. 01234 720016.

Thursday March 12th

Thursday March 26th

Thursday April 9th

Thursday April 23rd

Friends Conservation Tasks

On
the last Monday of the month but a week earlier if a Bank
Holiday: Meet at the Ranger’s Office at 10am for tea. Old
clothes, a packed lunch and sturdy footwear are a must. We
supply refreshments, gloves and tools. A chance to contribute
to the conservation work around the park. Leader: Richard
Dowsett, tel. 07792 721866 or e-mail Richard.dowsett@bedford.gov.uk

Monday March 30th

Monday April 27th

Easter Egg Hunt

Good Friday April 3rd
_ for
details please see the main article.

1st
session 10am – 12pm

2nd
session 1pm – 3pm

Booking essential, £1.00 per head.

Pond
Dipping with Bedfordshire Natural History Society.

Sometime in April - details to be confirmed. Please look out
for posters on the notice boards and under events on the
website. Probably towards the end of April

Donna Summer is playing on the stereo, dishes of cheese and
pineapple are on the table.

Beverly and estate agent husband, Lawrence, have invited round
new neighbours Tony and Angela, and nervous divorcee Sue,
twitchy about the party her daughter, Abigail, is throwing. As
Beverley plies the guests with alcohol, cigarettes, Demis
Roussos and nibbles, this horribly compelling evening descends
into drunkenness; tensions in the host’s barely functional
marriage emerge and their prejudices and petty competitiveness
are hilariously exposed….

You
are invited! ……………..not to be missed!

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG - 8th
– 13th
JUNE

The thrilling and compelling Broadway
fable:

MUSIC & LYRICS BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM, BOOK BY
GEORGE FURTH

Originally directed on Broadway by Harold Prince Orchestrations
by Jonathan Tunick. Originally produced on Broadway by Lord
Grade, Martin Starger, Robert Fryer & Harold Prince in
association with Ruth Mitchell & Howard Haines. An amateur
production in association with JOSEPH WEINBERGER LTD

11.00am Short service and erection of the cross on Harrold
Village Green

1.00pm Easter Egg Hunt HOCP

2.00pm Hour at the Cross, St Peter’s
Church, Harrold

Magazine Deadline

Please send all entries for the
April
2015
magazine to Tricia Hudson (ed
at odellbeds.net)
or Catherine Corkery by March 12th
at the latest. May we remind you that the editorial team
exercises the right to edit, shorten or alter any items that are
submitted. Also, the opinions expressed in the articles are
those of the contributors and are not the responsibility of the
editorial team.